Feeding mechanism for automatic firearms



'. 1, i945. G. WEBB FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed Dec. 23, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l slooeo 6 QB I o f'zvsntaz" 1 5502155 H2152? 1 g a H @Zfitarngy B B E w a FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed Dec. 23, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 B B E w a FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed Dec. 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 m hm Event 0r 55021475 M2727 G. WEBB FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Filed Dec. 23, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .FZI/Entar fi J Patented Oct. 15, 1945 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS George Webb, Hartford, Conn., assignor to Colts Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 23, 1943, Serial No. 515,392

3 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for operating the feed slide of an automatic firearm.

The invention primarily but not restrictively pertains to an automatic firearm adapted to fire cartridges of 21. caliber substantially larger than rifie caliber and of the order of 37 mm. in caliber, The construction comprising the invention is readily adaptable to a firearm of the type basically illustrated in U. S. Patent 1,525,065 to Browning but more particularly to the firearm illustrated in co-pending U. S. patent application, Serial No. 325,405, new Patent No. 2,375,452, in the name of George Webb, filed March 22, 1940, the firearm illustrated in said Webb patent constituting an improvement of the firearm illustrated in said Browning patent.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved mounting means for the feed lever whereby said lever may be more expeditiously removed from the feed box, when desired, than the feed lever illustrated in said Patent 2,375,452.

Relative to the foregoing object, it is still another object of the invention to provide a feed lever mounting pin and the feed lever supporting block with means whereby the pin may be utilized as a support for the feed lever while said feed lever is being removed from the feed box.

Only sufiicient of the details of the firearm are herein described to afford an understanding of the present invention, but the following fully describes the foregoing objects as well as other objects of the invention. For a complete understanding of all details and functions of the firearm illustrated in the accompanying drawings but not forming a part of the present application, attention is directed to said Patent 2,375,452.

The accompanying drawings show the embodiment of the invention which is deemed preferable, but it will be understood that the drawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the firearm and illustrates the breech casing and feed box assembled in operative position as well as one type of magazine mounted on the right side of the feed box.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear end elevation of the firearm shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the feed box and breech casing and illustrates details of the feeding mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view principally illustrating the feed box with the cover removed to expose the component parts of the feeding mechanism which occupy their normal positions at the commencement of the feeding stroke of the feed slide.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the component parts of the feeding mechanism in their positions substantially at the completion of the feeding stroke of the feed slide.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the feed box and a magazine and illustrates the feed slide in its position in the feed channel at the beginning of its feeding stroke and a feeder partially disposed in said feed channel.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the mounting means for the feed lever showing said means transposed from its position in Figs. 5 and 6, said view also showing the pivot pin in full lines in its normal operative position and also illustrating in dotted lines the feed lever removing position of the pivot pin.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 9 and partially sectioned on the line lfi-l 0 of Fig. 9, said view illustrating in full lines the feed lever in its normal operative position and in dotted lines its partially removed position.

The present invention comprises an improved mouting means for the feed lever. More particularly, the improved mounting means permits the removal of the feed lever without necessitating the removal of any of the'intermediate mechanism which connects said feed lever with the feed slide. Such removal is accomplished by partially moving the feed lever pivot pin inward of the feed box in an axial direction until it is removed from its seat in the mounting block and then the pivot pin is moved in a substantially vertical direction out of the feed box while still in engagement with the upper end of the feed lever, whereby the feed lever is simultaneously removed from the feed box by the pivot pin.

This construction is to be distinguished from that illustrated in said Patent 2,375,452 and wherein to effect removal of the feed lever it was first necessary to remove a bell crank connecting the feed lever with the feed 'slide lever before ready access could be gained to the feed lever. Following this, the feed lever pin was entirely removed from the feed box while the feed lever was held from falling into the breech casing and, subsequently, the feed lever was lowered from its positicn in the supporting block until the lever was clear thereof and could be then laterally moved inward and finally vertically to effect removal thereof from the feed box. It will thus be seen that the improved construction comprising the present invention represents an advantageous saving of time as well as greatly facilitating the ease of manipulation of the feed lever to remove it from the feed box.

Referring to the drawings, breech casing I9 reciprocably supports at one end the breech of a tube or barrel 2. The breech of the barrel is secured to one end of barrel extension M which includes a pair of rearward extending arms i8 and is reciprocably mounted within the breech casing. The right hand arm i6 carries an outward projecting lug i8 for purposes to be described.

Surmounting and detachably secured to the breech casing it is a feed box 29 which primarily contains most of the feeding mechanism. As mentioned above, the present feed box is adapted for feeding a loaded feeder from the right hand side of the feed box toward the left hand side as viewed in Figs. and 6 when looking forward of the firearm. Thus the right hand side of the feed box is provided with an opening 22 of proper size and shape to readily admit a feeder 24 loaded with cartridges 26 into the feed box. Opening 22 comprises part of the entrance end of the feed channel 28 which is otherwise defined by a pair of opposed stripper cams 3G. The stripper cams are respectively provided on their under side with similarly curved cam surfaces 32 (Fig. 8) which serve to strip cartridges from the feeder as the loaded feeder is moved from the exit of a magazine 33 through the feed channel from the right side of the feed box toward the left side thereof. The upper surfaces of said cams are horizontal and comprise a support for the outward proj ecting flanges provided at the top of the feeder links and respectively extending outward in opposite directions. The left side of the feed box is provided with an exit opening 34 which is slightly wider than the feeder per se and defines the exit end of the feed channel.

Feed slide 33 is reciprocably mounted in the upper portion of the feed channel 28 and is supported in operative position by a pair of spaced grooved bars 38. The feed slide is provided with a pair of feed pawls 46 adapted to engage spaced openings or feeding apertures 42 provided in the tops of the feeder links. It will be understood that the firearm herein described will operate satisfactorily with either flexible articulated-link feeders or with rigid feeders, both of which are.

described in detail in said Patent 2,375,452.

The forward grooved bar 38 is provided with a spring-biased stop pawl 44 pivotally mounted thereon and havin a tooth adapted to successively enter spaced notches 46 provided in one side flange of the feeder to prevent over-feeding of the feeder in feeding direction. Said pawl 44 is in position to engage one of the notches 46 at the commencement of each movement of the feed slide in feeding direction. As in the construet'on of the feed slide and feed pawls described in said Patent 2,375,452, the amount of movement of the feed slide in retrograde or counter-feeding direction is such that there is a certain amount of over-travel of the pawls 48 with respect to the feeding apertures 32 which are to be engaged by said pawls at the commencement of the next feeding stroke of the feed slide. Said over-travel of the feed pawls is clearly shown in Fig. 8. When the feed slide commences to move in feeding direction, toward the left side of the feed box, 9. cam 48 provided on the forward left hand corner of the feed slide engages a lug 56 on stop pawl 3-2 and earns said pawl from engagement with the particular notch 46 in the feeder which then accommodates said pawl, whereby the feeder may be then moved in feeding direction by the feed slide inasmuch as the feed pawls 40 have by then been respectively received in a pair of the feeding apertures 42 in the feeder.

In order that there will :be no substantial retrograde movement of the feeder particularly during the time the feed slide is moving in retrograde direction, a holdin pawl 52 is also pivotally mounted on forward grooved bar 38 in spaced relationship to stop pawl 64. Said holding pawl is normally biased by spring plunger 54 in a direction to engage one of the notches 46 in the side flange of the feeder.

For a complete understanding of all of the operations and functions of both the stop pawl 44 and holding pawl attention is directed to the description of similar pawls setforth in said Patent 2,375,452, the only difference being that in the presently described feed slide and pawls, the shape of the pawls' and the cams on the feed slide are such that they will properly function while the feed slide moves in feeding directionfrom right to left as distinguished from a feed slide moving in feeding direction from left to right which is described in said patent.

The right hand side of the feed box 29 is provided with a bracket 55 which pivotally supports a feed slide lever 58 intermediately of its ends. The forward end of the lever 58 is connected to the feed slide by being disposed in a suitable notch 99 provided on the upper surface thereof. The rearward end of said lever is provided with an upstanding stud B2. A pring-pressed plunger 59 carried by bracket 56 engages a lateral projection 58' on feed slide lever 58 to normally bias the forward end of said lever toward the right hand side of the feed box whereby the feed slide en gaged by said end of the lever will normally be positioned to commence its feeding stroke.

The right hand side of the feed box 23 is also provided with another bracket 64 which supports a vertical pintle '65. A bell crank lever 68 is provided intermediately of its ends with; a bearing H3 adapted to receive pintle 65 and be pivotally supported thereon. One end of lever 68 is provided with an elongated slot 12 which receives stud 52. The other end of lever G3 is provided with another elongated slot 74. Both elongated slots l2 and '14 preferably extend substantially radially from bearing 19.

The left hand side of feed box 28 is provided near its rearward end with a bracket i6 which supports a Vertically extending pintle 18. A second bell crank lever fit is provided in its intermediate portion with a vertically extending bear-- ing aperture adapted to receive pintle 18 so as to be pivotally supported thereon. One end of bell crank lever 89 is provided With a depending lug 82 received in slot Hi in one end of hell crank lever 63. The other end of bell crank lever 88 is provided with a vertically extending bearing 84 partially open at one side as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The arm of the bell crank lever containing bearing 84 is at a considerably lower level than the arm which carries lug 82 as shown in Fig. 4.

Also supported on the right hand side of the feed box is a generally rectangular block 86 secured to said side by any suitable means such as rivets 89. Said block is provided intermediately of its sides with an aperture 99. Said aperture "at the top of the block is substantially rectangular in shape but in sectional side elevation the configuration of the aperture is irregular as shown in Fig. but the aperture generally is fiared outward at opposite sides toward the bottom of the block for purposes to be described. The aperture 9!! accommodates the upper end of feed lever 92. Said upper end of the feed lever is preferably rounded and is also provided with a transverse bearing 94 adapted to receive and be pivctally supported by a pivot pin 99.

Pivot pin 99 is removably supported at one end in a cylindrical bearing 98 provided in one side wall or block 86 and also in an aligned cylindrical bearing IIlfl formed in the right hand side of the feed box 29. Intermediately of its ends, the pivot pin 85 is provided with an enlarged cylindrical portion I02 which is provided on its outer surface with an annular groove Ill l. Said enlarged portion IE2 is accommodated in an opening I 35 extending between and intersecting one wall defining aperture 98 and the inner side wall of block 86. The upper and lower portions of said opening I96 are substantially rectangular in plan view but the intermediate portion of said opening is circular in side elevation and the opposed walls of said intermediate portion of the opening define an interrupted cylindrical bearing adapted to accommodate the enlarged portion I82 of pivot pin 96. Said cylindrical bearing thus formed in opening I96 comprises a support for the inner end of pivot'pin 96.

A suitable cylindrical opening I88 extends vertically through block 86 at one side of opening i536 and receives a headed locking pin Hi The position of the opening IE8 is such that it intersects the cylindrical bearing portion of the opening I535 whereby the pin I19 is disposed in a portion of annular groove I54 formed in the enlarged portion H32 of pivot pin 95 when said pivot pin is disposed in operative position in block 89. This is clearly shown in full lines in Fig. 9. Locking pin Ill! is made suil'iciently long that the lower end extends below the bottom of the block 86 when the pin is in looking position. Said projecting lower end of the pin may be readily engaged by the finger of a mechanic or by a suitable tool to raise the pin and sufiiciently expose the head on the upper end thereof that it may be grasped to effect removal of the pin from opening I88 and thus permit pivot pin 95 to be moved laterally to disconnect the same from block 86. Looking pin IE6 is held in operative position in block 86 by the feed box cover, to be described.

Pivot pin 98 is provided on its inner end with an extension or knob II2 provided with an outer knurled surface and adapted to be manually engaged to manipulate the pin for purposes to be described.

Intermediately of its ends, feed lever 92 is provided with a laterally extending cylindrical lug or projection Iid which pivctally supports a cylinder l I5 which is slidably and rotatably received in bearing 8 provided in bell crank lever 86. The lower end of feed lever 92 is sufilciently long that it extends into breech casing I9 as shown in Fig. 4. Since feed slide lever 58 is normally biased by spring-pressed plunger 59 so that its forward end i toward the right hand side of the feed box whereby the feed slide is normally posi- 6 tioned to commence its feeding stroke, the bell crank levers 98 and 89 will be moved by said feed slide lever so as to, in turn, position the feed lever 92 with its lower end in itsrearward position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, said positioning of the feed lever being made possible by the fiared lower end of aperture 9i]. Said feed lever is in this position at the time firing of a cartridge in the firearm occurs.

Following the firing of a cartridge, the barrel extension moves rearward in recoil direction and lug I8 carried by arm I6 of the barrel extension slides past the lower end of feed lever 92 to the rearward dotted line position of lug I8 shown in Fig. 4. The flared lower end of aperture 99 in block is sufiiciently large to permit movement of the feed lever slightly farther rearward than indicated in the rearward dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 4, whereby lug IS may slide under the lower end thereof. Block 86 is also provided respectively at opposite sides of the flared lower end of aperture 90 with a pair of spring-pressed plungers II8 which are each mounted so as to project normally from opposite side walls of aperture 913 as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 10.

After lug 58 has moved rearward past the lower end of feed lever 82, the rearwardmost spring pressed plunger IE8 will restore the feed lever to the rearward dotted line position shown in Fig, 4 and wherein lug I8 will engage said lower end of the feed lever when the lug is moved in counter-recoil direction by the counter-recoil movement of the barrel extension. The forward or counter-recoil movement of lug I8 thus moves feed lever 92 forward to, in turn, oscillatethe bell cranks 8i! anad 68 and also feed slide lever 58 to move the feed slide in feeding direction toward the left side of the feed box. Hence, the feed slide is moved in feeding direction during the counter-recoil movement of the barrel extension. The feed lever 92 will be moved substantially to the forward fragmentary dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 although the lug I8 finally moves forward a short distance past the position where it disengages the lower end of feed lever 92.

The biasing effect imparted by spring-pressed plunger 59 to feed slide lever 58 restores the feed slide to the position it occupies at the commencement of its feeding movement and simultaneously restores feed lever 92 to the rearward dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 4 and in which position said feed lever remains until the barrel extension once more engages it after moving to full recoil position. Such movement of the feed slide by the biasing effect imparted to the feed slide lever 58 is made possible since the lower end of feed lever 92 has been completely disengaged by lug I 8 on the barrel extension. Following each full recoil movement of the barrel extension, the cycle of movement of the elements comprising the feeding mechanism, as described in the foregoing, recurs.

Should it be necessary or desirable to reciprocate the feed slide independently of the mechanism in the firearm which automatically reciprocates said slide during the firing of the firearm, an auxiliary manually operable charging device I29 is carried by the cover I22 of the feed box and is provided with cam means I24 adapted to engage a projection I25 on the feed slide to reciprocate the feed slide in feeding direction when the charging device I29 i actuated. Said charging device and its function are fully de- I It will thus be seen that the-feeding mechanismxprovides means adaptedato normally feed, thefeed slide in feeding direction from the right side of the feed box toward the .left, n'otWith-' I sl'iribed in detail in said Patent 2.375A52iandi-at- I I tention is directedthereto for a fuller under-v standingof said device. I I

standing thefachthat the feed lever comprising part of said feeding mechanism is mounted'on I I the rightsideof the .feed box, the sameas the feed lever of the feeding .mechanism described and illustrated in said Patent 2,375,l52' but in I which patentthe feed slide is moved in feeding direction fromithe left side of the reed box to-,

ward the right'side; I I I I It'will also be seen that the feed llevermay be readily removed from the feed box when desired or when necessary by first removing pin Ht from I block: 86 and thenaxially moving pivot pin 95 "bymeans'of'manually engageable knob 5 !2 until the outertend of :the pivot pin has been disen- I .gage'd'from bearings' fifl and-ltd but Without removing said end of the pivot pin from'the bearsuch'movement of the pivot pin removes enlarged portion H32 from the opening P3 5 and permits the pivot ingin the end otthe feed lever.

pin to be moved verticallyupward so as tosimultaneously move the feed lever .vertically'up- I scribed.v

Prior to removing the feed lever from the feed I box, it is advisable, though not necessary, to first I move bell crankBll slightly forward in-the feed I box, such as by moving the outer end of feed slide 38 in retrograde direction, until lug H4 becomes substantially vertically aligned with opening we. Suchiforward movement of the bell crank 88 will also provide more space in which to manipulateknob H2 since the rearward end of bell crank lever 68 will thus'be moved forward 7 and away from block 88 during such movement of bell crank 8.5. Inasmuch as the arm of hell crank lever :30 which contains "bearing'M and cylinder ll 5 are below the level of knob I I2, these elements will comprise no obstruction while manipulating .pivot. pin 96 'by means .of said knob.

Conversely, feed lever 92 may'be re-inserted in its operativepos'ition in block 86 by reversing the operation described in the foregoing with respect to withdrawing or removing said feed lever from said feed box and block.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred embodiment and has included certain details, it should beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same maybe carried outin :other ways, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a firearm feed lever ,provided with a projection extendingzlaterally from one side thereof .and adapted to engage "a component part of a firearm, a block adapted to be securedtd portionrofa:firearmrfor supportand I I rovi'ded with an. aperture Zintermediate opposed I sides thereof torreceive one-end ofsaidfeed'lever,

said block'alsmhaving a clearance opening in- I tersecting said aperture and one side of 'said:block and *said opening :being of less widththan said end-of said feedieveribut sufiicie'ntly wide'to pass I saidprojection when longitudinally movingrsaid I feed lever through said aperture "incident itolre moving said 'feed lever from :said block, :and a pivot pin. removably carried by said block and extending -through"said end of saidfeed lever to pivotally securethe same to said bloclnsaid pin whenin operative position having a portion'en gaging, at least a portion of the walls-of said opening to provide t least partial support 'for said pin.

sidesithereof toreceive oneendof saidfeed lever, saidbleck additionally'having a supportingopen- .ing andalso a clearance opening:intersecting{saidv aperture and one sideof said block'and said clearanceopening beingrof lesswidth than said end of said feed lever but 'zsufiicie'ntly wide to pass said projection when longitudinally moving said feed lever through said aperture incident to'removing said feed lever from said 'blockgand a, pivot pin removablycarriedby saidblock and extending throughsaid-end of :said feed lever andalsoextending into said supporting opening I I I to pivotally secure-the -feed lever tosaid block,

said pinwhen in operative position also having I a. portion engagingat leastaportion of the walls I I of said opening to provide in conjunction'with said supporting opening a supportyfor said pin.

3. In combination, a firearm feed lever providedwith a projectionextending laterally from one side thereof and adapted toengage a component part of a'firearm. a blook adapted to be secured to a portion of a-firearmior support and provided with an aperture :intermediate opposed sidesthereof to receive one end of said feed lever, said'lolock'additionally having a supporting open ing and also a clearance opening intersecting said aperture and one'side-ofsaid block and said clearance openin being-of less width'than said endof said'feed lever butxsufficiently wide to pass said projection whenlongitudinally moving said feed leverthrough said aperture incident to removing said feed'leverfrom .said block, :a pivot pin removably carried bysaid block and extendingthrough said end of 'said feed lever and also extending into said supporting opening topivotally secure the feed lever "to said block,said pin when in operative position .alsohaving a portion engaging at-least aportionof thewalls of said openingto provide inconjunction with said supporting opening a support for saidpin, and manually engageable means carried by saidpin and .by which said pin may be withdrawn from said supporting opening, saidmeans alsoserving in conjunction with said pin to provide a support by'which said feed lever maybe removed from said block.

GEORGE WEBB. 

